Morton Jaffray in shut down

Innocent Ruwende Municipal Reporter
Harare residents must brace for a dry weekend after the city shut down its major water treatment plant at Morton Jaffray Water Works yesterday to allow for “emergency” maintenance works on pumps and valves.
The water shortage will affect all the city’s suburbs, but is expected to ease on Tuesday as the maintenance progresses.

The rehabilitation of the water works is part of the programme to solve the city’s perennial water problems.

Town clerk Dr Tendai Mahachi said in an interview yesterday that there would be a complete shut down of Morton Jaffray Water Treatment Plant until 8pm today.

“The shut down is to allow for emergency maintenance works to be carried out at Warren Control Pump Station,” he said. “Water supply interruptions are anticipated during the shut down.”

Last year, council secured a controversial US$144 million loan from the Chinese Export Import Bank and has since acquired some of the material to be used for the refurbishment of the 60-year-old plant that is producing only 400 mega-litres of water per day when it has the potential to produce 640 mega litres.

The upgrading would result in the plugging of leaks on pipes connected to the water treatment plant and installations of water flow metres to gauge the amount of water reaching the residents.

The rehabilitation of the plant is expected to increase output from the current 450 mega litres of water to 640 mega litres.

The 42 percent increase, the city engineers say, will bring water to the perennially dry parts of the city, some of which have not had water for the better part of the last five years.